Roundtables

During LREF 2023, we hosted in-depth roundtable discussions, covering a range of issues facing the built environment sector.

Each session brought together a group of experts and professionals with the aim of discussing key challenges and creating actionable solutions to be shared with the wider audience.

The roundtables were closed room discussions, taking place at the Barbican Centre. Each roundtable will have a dedicated write-up in the post-LREF 2023 report for everyone to view; coming soon.

	Roundtable Frobisher Room 1	Roundtable Frobisher Room 2	Roundtable Frobisher Room 3
10:00-11:30	Retrofit With the climate crisis and the 'Net Zero' target for 2030, we urgently need to reduce embodied carbon emissions, and prioritising the conservation of existing buildings, and retrofitting is one of the key ways to achieve this. What incentives should be implemented to Retrofit first? Should we use the carrot or the stick? And how to encourage a cultural change? Collaboration across the industry is essential, and public and private sectors should and can all play a role. Participants Chair: Emily Gabb, NLA Kirsty Draper, JLL Jason Balls, EPR James Dixon, Handley House Mike Burton, AECOM Tom Barton, Buckley Gray Yeoman Cllr Shital Manro, LB Ealing Phil Campbell, Mace Aazra Pankan, Introba Dain Robinson, NWEC Kerstin Kane, City of London Steve Page, Savills Hannah Jameson, London Councils Cllr Geoff Barraclough, City of Westminster James Mitchell, Axiom Architects Annelie Kvick-Thompson, Grimshaw Natalie Record, Catapult	Social Value: from statements to actions Embedding social value into planning is gaining momentum, but can we translate it into action? For developments to deliver tangible benefits for the communities they serve, we must collectively analyse the data we gather, which metrics we use to analyse this data, and how we then interpret the data. Should we develop a London-wide framework to embed social value within the planning system? How can we share best practice and resources to achieve shared outcomes? Are there examples of successful social value frameworks London can learn from? Participants Chair: Richard Meier, Stories Susan Mantle, HTS Anjana Raj, Sir Robert McAlpine Bhakti Depala, City of London Jo Dobson, Useful Simple Trust Cleo Weeden, Commonplace Anne Parkes, Arup Tom Beardmore, Mount Anvil Michael Forrester, LB Lewisham Rebekah Paczek, Earls Court Development Co James Miller, Pragma Consulting Rachael Smith, FSQ Louise Duggan, Greater London Authority Priya Aggarwal-Shah, BAME in Property Declan McCafferty, Grimshaw Chris Wilson, Southwark Charities
13:30-15:00	Power of partnership Often planning and development in London are seen as fragmented, complex and disconnected. But working together in partnership can enable us to unlock new solutions and approaches to shaping places for the future. How do we align and coordinate the public and private sectors towards an inclusive post-carbon London? How can the built environment industry come together under consistent definitions, frameworks and regulations that provide clarity and allow us to take collective responsibility? How can we better communicate the value that a cohesive common-goal-oriented industry can bring to communities? Participants Chair: Piali Das Gupta, London Councils Dr Aileen Jones, Liverpool City Region Sam Markey, Connected Places Catapult Robin Dobson, Network Rail Mark Leeming, Project Director at 1 Broadgate, Sir Robert McAlpine Emma Hatch, Places for London, The TfL Property Company Nick Searl, Related Argent Tim Cutts, LB Southwark Marcos Gold, Central District Alliance Anna Devlet, British Land Amanprit Arnold, GLA Katie Kopec, JLL Dee Corsi, NWEC Marcus Bate, Mount Anvil Jonathan Martin, LB Waltham Forest Emily Ferrary, HOLBA Ian Turner, SEGRO	Housing In London there is a fantastic range of housing tenures and products available to the market, from co-living to build-to-rent, to later-living and student-housing. With the ever-increasing cost of living, these products however, only seem to be getting more expensive. With London’s housing crisis showing no sign of easing, what value does this wide range of tenures bring to the table? Can these products seek to address the issue of affordability? Participants Chair: Kaye Stout, Pollard Thomas Edwards Michela Hancock, Greystar Adam Towle, LB Ealing Arita Morris, Child Graddon Lewis Simon Scott, JLL Alexandra Jozeph, Places for London, The TfL Property Company Patricia Cazes-Potgieter, LLDC Miranda McLaren, Morris & Co Mark Wilkinson, Hoare Lea Alice Hawkins, Turley Claire Bennie, Municipal Alison Dowsett, Berkeley Group Vicky Savage, lqgroup Sara Bowrey, LB Bromley Elizabeth Rapoport, Homes England	Financing the Net Zero Transition In association with Green Finance Institute How can local authorities finance the net-zero transition? Over 320 councils have declared a climate emergency while 82% of all UK emissions are within the scope of influence of local authorities, so how can local climate projects be financed? What innovative financing mechanisms exist and what new ones are needed? What do local authorities need to fund the transition to net zero and what do they need from the private sector to support them to decarbonise? Participants Chair: Matt Ferreti, GFI Emily Chadwick, JLL Becci Taylor, Arup Laura Blakey, Great Manchester Combined Authority Hannah Jameson, London Councils Cllr Emily Hickson, LB Southwark Miles Ashton, GFI Karl Harder, Abundance Investments Joseph Holmes, West Berkshire Ryan Jude, Westminster Council Chris Sood-Nichols, Lloyds Banking Group Stuart Leslie, UK Infrastructure Bank Gus Wiseman, UK Government DBT Helen Newman, Fabrix
15:30- 17:00	Tall Buildings Over the last 10 years, the context for tall buildings in London has changed considerably. Sustainability, building safety and policies are all having an impact on the tall building market. Can they still be a viable option in London? In London, the majority of people live/work in or near a tall building. What is the impact and how do we measure people's perception and experience of tall buildings? And what values this typology of building can bring to the city and its people? Since launching in 2014, the NLA London Tall Buildings Survey has been the only comprehensive review of tall buildings in London driving the debate on how high-density development can contribute to the city, analysing key trends and providing insights into policy, construction and design. For the 10th anniversary in 2024, the NLA report will study the evolution of Tall buildings in London in the last 10 years. Hosted by the London Real Estate Forum, this Think Tank will provide valuable thought leadership that will be part of the 2024 survey. Participants Chair: Federico Ortiz, NLA Colin Wilson, LB Southwark Ann Dalzell, Arup Gwyn Richards, City of London Patrick Fitzgerald, Mace David Syme, LB Lewisham Peter Jackson, SOM Steve Jackson, Faithful + Gould David Weatherhead, HOK Joon Chung, Prior + Partners Angie Jim Osman, Allies and Morrison Gary McLuskey, Greystar Amena Matin, LB Enfield Kevin Vinson, OTIS Elevators Joanna Sutherland, Haworth Tompkins	Workplace With hybrid working becoming the new norm, the question of the future of the workplace is crucial. What is the current market value for office buildings in central London, and can we talk about stranded assets? How do we attract employees back to the office? The sector needs to provide the right space in the right place to support the city centre, employees, occupiers and communities. Employees increasingly expect workplaces to be sustainable, healthy, and flexible, and to offer an enticing alternative to working from home. Returning to the office is essential for the city centre economy, but how do we meet people's needs? Is 5-day working still on the agenda? It is essential to explore what people want and what they care about to provide the right answer. Participants Chair: Dominic Morgan, ING Stephen Pey, EPR Victoria Shin, Places for London, The TfL Property Company Andy Lantz, RIOS Shravan Joshi, City of London Matt Dillon, Arup Ali Stewart, BGY Joyce Ip, LB of Hounslow Ronan Pigott, Introba Sheela Shukla, BDP Paul Butterworth, KKS Savills Dolunay Dogahan, CO-RE Spike van der Vliet-Firth, LB Lewisham Katy Ghahramani, Make Architects Guy Wiseman, UK Government DBT	Diverse Leaders – representation matters: diversifying the industry How do we create value for the communities we serve? It starts with creating a diverse and representative industry that reflects the people we are planning, designing and developing for. As more people from under represented backgrounds join the industry, how do we make sure diversity at senior levels is being addressed? What policies, training and initiatives should be in place to aid this? How do we ensure project teams are inclusive across the board? How do we create timely and meaningful collaboration with the community, young people and local businesses? Participants Chair: Dipa Joshi, Fletcher Priest Architects Marko Salopek, Greystar Yemi Aladerun, LB Enfield Cllr Louise Brett, LB Ealing Cllr Cara Sanquest, City of Westminster Chanelle Gray, Savills Anjna Farmah, Places for London, The TfL Property Company Sasha Covington, JLL Puja Jain, British Land Rachel Lishman, Ryder Architecture Warren Stapley, Montagu Evans Gabrielle Appiah, AECOM Nicola Mathers, Future of London